Act IV, Scene 3 (cont.): The Monstrous Proposal — Richard III

Richard stops Elizabeth after the Duchess's curse. She says she has no more royal sons for him to slaughter and vows her daughters shall be praying nuns, not weeping queens. To save young Elizabeth's life she offers to stain her own name and confess the girl no true princess. Richard says wrong not her birth and pivots: her life is safest only in her birth, and in that safety died her brothers.

Their exchange turns to indictment. Elizabeth calls the princes cousins cozened by their uncle and says the murderous knife was whetted on Richard's stone-hard heart until her nails would anchor in his eyes. Richard claims he intends more good than harm and says from his soul he loves her daughter, intending to make her queen. Elizabeth answers send to her by the man that slew her brothers a pair of bleeding hearts, or a handkerchief steeped in Rutland's blood, and name Clarence, Rivers, and quick conveyance with good Aunt Anne.

Richard proposes that if he killed the issue of her womb, he will beget his issue of her blood upon her daughter. Elizabeth demolishes his wooing lines: shall I say her uncle, or he that slew her brothers; as long as hell and Richard likes of it; plain and not honest is too harsh a style. Richard tells her harp not on that string, madam, that is past.